| The Symbolism and Meaning of Anchor Tattoos, Nautical Star Tattoos and Swallow Tattoos - 2 |
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Anchor Tattoos In the farthest back history that one can go the Anchor as a symbol was used by Christians. The Christians used the anchor as a hidden secret cross. While they were under the presecution by the Romans they lived in hiding and used the anchor to as a symbol for the cross for a signal to other Christians. The anchor much later showed up in tattoo designs worn by sailors. At that time it was a symbol for being grounded or even tied down to a significant other be it a girlfriend or a wife but in a relationship either way. This is the most common meaning of an anchor tattoo in the modern world of tattooing. Nautical Star Tattoos Nautical stars are a symbol of the North Star. Sailors would use the North Star to find their way home and the nautical star became a popular tattoo among sailors and was worn as a good luck symbol and one that would promise a safe return home from a long voyage at sea. There is also some debate the nautical stars of certain colors would be earned for making certain voyages or sailing a certain amount of miles. For example a blue nautical star on the left forearm might symbolize someone who has sailed across the Pacific Ocean for example. The exact meanings and colors have been lost in history for the most part. Swallow Tattoos Swallows are small birds that have small wings and therefore typically do not fly very far away from land. For the early sailors spotting a swallow would mean a group was close to land and therefore it became a good luck symbol. Some sailors would also put swallows on their fists and it was believed to make them faster in a fight. The exact meaning and symbolism behind these great tattoos such as the nautical star, anchor tattoo and swallow tattoo has been lost and obscured by history. It is probably accurate that the symbolism was also somewhat different between different groups of sailors. However, the fact remains that today these are very popular old school sailor tattoos that can make incredible tattoo designs. It is probably best to keep with the general meaning and symbolism behind these designs but of course it is always up to the person wearing the tattoo their interpretation of the symbol. If you are thinking about getting one of these great old school tattoo design you will want to check out this site for tons of great Anchor, Swallow, Nautical Star Tattoos. Also if you are interested in learning more about the symbolism and meaning of tattoos [http://www.mycustomtattoo.com/blog] check out this site. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson |